Apologies/Rambling/Explaining

Kenway

So I'm not really sure where to start or how to best go about this so I'll probably just ramble and then spoiler and tldr at the end.

So as most of us who are student do, I was quite absent from Achaea around midterms. That's fine, people knew that was happening, no big.
Immediately after midterms, my grandfather was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and a couple weeks later he passed.
Then I got hit by a car and I was in the hospital for about a week and then in and out for monitoring for about two more weeks. I had a bad reaction to some pain killers and they took me off all my other meds in case it was caused by those. This included my anti-depressants.
So depressed, in pain, freshly dead grandfather and now behind on courses, I kinda forgot about Achaea. It just wasn't really on my mind.
And I guess that's what I'm writing this to talk about. I'm sorry for that. I took on a leadership role in the game, and that comes with responsibilities. And I let some of you down on that front by going MIA. Things have been getting better for a while now but the feelings of shame I have at disappearing without any sort of notice have kind of kept me away. I am 100% positive that the people I worked with in the Shield kept everything going great but still, you all deserved to at least know where I went, or even that I was going to be gone. (@Kandra, @Aerek, @Hosko, @Lorielan)
I miss this community though, I miss it a lot and I'd like to come back, as much as I dread piecing my reflexes together onto my new computer (old one was a 'cushion' between me and the car) but to be honest, I'm not certain if I should come back as Kenway. I just don't know how to explain his sudden disappearance from a fairly major role. It may be time to retire him, though I really hate the thought of it.

So uh, TLDR;

-I'm sorry that I disappeared on anyone that noticed my absence. I feel terrible. Things happened but I should have let someone know somehow and that's on me.

-If anyone can help me think of a way to explain this absence in character for Kenway, I would really appreciate the help but if not, we may see the last of him soon.

-Also I really missed all of you. 

-(Most of you.)

Sarathai

Kenway said:

-If anyone can help me think of a way to explain this absence in character for Kenway, I would really appreciate the help but if not, we may see the last of him soon.

"I was asleep for longer than I thought."

I doubt anybody worth the time will make that much fuss about it.

Kenway

Sarathai said:

Kenway said:

-If anyone can help me think of a way to explain this absence in character for Kenway, I would really appreciate the help but if not, we may see the last of him soon.

"I was asleep for longer than I thought."

I doubt anybody worth the time will make that much fuss about it.

I hope you're right. I just know that I've been very frustrated by absent leaders in the past and I've never before been a leader myself so I guess I'm just worried.

Klendathu

Shit happens. Sometimes it's serious shit. People adapt. Don't sweat it. Come back when you're ready.

Aerek

Game's a game, bro. Gotta take care of real shit before we care about play-pretend shit, and when you've got the real world breathing down your neck, the last thing you need to be worrying about is this stuff.

Sure, it came at an inconvenient time, and it sucks to be that guy that got leadership and then had to go dormant, but I never held that against you, and neither should anyone else.

I knew about some of the stuff going on in your life, but never knew you were hit by a car. Knowing that, I'm just glad you're still breathing.

Khaibit

There are far less extreme ways to take a break!
Just swan back and look surprised when people ask where you've been 'I was in the pub... '

Watchman

Dozens of different ways to explain away absence, depending on character backstory and development. Bring Valnurana into it. Play it up as a fugue state - log back in, strip yourself naked and stumble around the desert waiting for someone to find you. Got a ship, ever sailed? You got lost on an island, and just got picked up by pirates/ship full of sirens/zombies and had to bribe/se.. uh, companion/kill your way to freedom. Held on another plane by demonic/chaotic forces, blahblah.

People that appreciated you before will likely still appreciate you. People that didn't like you will just use it as one more reason why they dislike you. Don't sweat it, just get back on the horse.

Dochitha

You must have been swallowed by the Well. Everyone is looking for you. @Lorielan finally brought you back by slamming a huge rock into the well that spit you out. Now you have a story to tell, what's going inside the well, and how the hell you mastered a new profession while you disappeared. We want the new class and Kenway back.

Even if you retire you will still end up with Shield and rock on your head. Don't retire man.

Damn the curse of the Shield Wall.

Kez

You could say I kidnapped you and kept you chained in my pantry as a source of fresh meat.  
Achaea loves you. You're not allowed to retire. Banish the thought.

Hosko

Sorry to hear about all of that man. We all miss you and it sucks your absence came under such bad circumstances. Take care of yourself and all of the things going on in your life. We'll still be here for you when you're ready. As far as how to come back, I think @Watchman has the right idea. Wandering the desert naked, still drunk after some grand adventure seems pretty Kenway to me. 

Kerria

I'm still trying to figure out how to explain Keri's absence, though my reasons are not nearly as harrowing as yours.

1. Omgbbq are you okay? Ehugs and crossed fingers and omg feel better please?!? 
2. Always fun to have a grand adventure in the north/on an island. 
3. I hope you don't retire, but if you choose to it's okay.
4. I have some of the things that you helped me with on coding, I can send you the info at any time just poke at me and I can send it to you on skype, and hopefully that will help a bit. Just be warned, I'm still healing out of my recent surgery and sometimes am a bit loopy.

Tolan

@Kenway

I had the same kind of problem as you about a year ago. I was playing MkO at the time and working a full time job, yet me being me, I always found lots of time for MUDs. I ran into some problems and had no more full time job, but had constant doctor appointments/surgeries and lots of loopy drugs to be taking.

I'll tell you this from experience(my character was not very liked), no matter how hated or liked the character you're playing is, you'll be accepted back in whether your RP reason for being gone is good or not. The reason you've been gone is all up to you, and if people don't like your reasoning, they can .. Well, to put it blunt, they can suck it.

Ultimately, the decision to keep playing a single game is your choice, and your choice alone. Sure, you'll have influences from anyone you ask(Whether it be asking people you know outside of the game and they say you should spend less time doing it or if it's people IC who say to stay), but the choice is still yours and no matter what you choose, you shouldn't feel bad about your decision.

I never knew your character on Tolan or on any previous characters from in the past but I can say pretty confidently(from experience), that what ever your choice is, and whether people agree or not, you just need to be happy about it.

Retiring is a cool function that I also put to use after my time on MkO(and my previous characters here), and it's great. I love the ability to start a new character and still have at least some of the worth from everything you've done in the past and all the money you've put into the games.

/ramble

Tl;DR - Do what you want

Szanthax

I was hiding under szanthax..

Lorielan

Take care of you first, @Kenway. I'm glad to hear that you're making it through the tougher times.

Life happens, we all understand that, and we'll all be here when you're ready to come back. You don't owe anyone a reason or explanation.

Atalkez

Glad you're okay bro.

Trey

Dude, you got hit by a -car-. That's halfway to a Wulfen. Of course people will understand. 

Tahquil

Welcome back bro. Welcome back.

Szanthax

Wait... What happened to wulfen??

Tolan

I don't remember anymore, but the line went something close to that. Truck maybe? I always thought of it as something similar to @Cain's 'throw a laptop out the window', stuff.

Melodie

Tolan said:

I don't remember anymore, but the line went something close to that. Truck maybe? I always thought of it as something similar to @Cain's 'throw a laptop out the window', stuff.

But no, the official story is hit by a bus, in fact.

And Kenny, so glad to hear you're okay, bub. Keep breathing and being your awkward self. You'll figure it out, I'm sure.

Aesi

You gotta do you man.

I'm just honestly glad you're alive. Life is too short to be worrying about small things like this.

Shit happens. Video game will be here.

Tolan

Melodie said:

Tolan said:

I don't remember anymore, but the line went something close to that. Truck maybe? I always thought of it as something similar to @Cain's 'throw a laptop out the window', stuff.

But no, the official story is hit by a bus, in fact.

And Kenny, so glad to hear you're okay, bub. Keep breathing and being your awkward self. You'll figure it out, I'm sure.

Bah, I was close

Szanthax

I got hit by a bus while riding my bike through a cross walk.. The driver sued my family for emotional distress...and won. 

Anedhel

Tbf, I'd be super sad if I hit you with a car, too  

Xaden

Szanthax said:

I got hit by a bus while riding my bike through a cross walk.. The driver sued my family for emotional distress...and won. 

And this is one of the reasons why everyone else in the free world hates the USA

Tolan

Xaden said:

Szanthax said:

I got hit by a bus while riding my bike through a cross walk.. The driver sued my family for emotional distress...and won. 

And this is one of the reasons why everyone else in the free world hates the USA

To be fair though, if this happened in the USA, the biker probably rode into the road without looking first

edit: Or ran a red light. Or broke a road law. Or cut the bus off. Or just stole the bike and was fleeing the scene. Or did it on purpose in hopes to sue, but then got sued faster than they could sue, so basically got screwed over

Xaden

I assumed he meant as a cyclist... 

eta: grammar

Krypton

Szanthax said:

I got hit by a bus while riding my bike through a cross walk.. The driver sued my family for emotional distress...and won. 

Do your local laws allow you to bicycle on the sidewalk/crosswalk? You endanger pedestrians riding on a foot path, and if the view of a sidewalk is obstructed (by trees, etc.), a car can't see you approach the intersection than if you'd been on the road.

Tolan

Xaden said:

I assumed he meant as a cyclist... 

eta: grammar

I also assumed he meant as a cyclist. My post still stands.

Szanthax

Krypton said:

Szanthax said:

I got hit by a bus while riding my bike through a cross walk.. The driver sued my family for emotional distress...and won. 

Do your local laws allow you to bicycle on the sidewalk/crosswalk? You endanger pedestrians riding on a foot path, and if the view of a sidewalk is obstructed (by trees, etc.), a car can't see you approach the intersection than if you'd been on the road.

This. One must walk your bike through a crosswalk. She would have hit me either way... Was looking left, turned right. No obstruction, just other cars. It was one of those intersections where there was a turn lane, and she was passing stopped cars at the light and looked left to make sure no one was coming... I enter crosswalk when the little green man pops up, she turns right, right into me.

Halos

When in doubt, Dannyl out.